MCA ban stays: No Wankhede Stadium for Shah Rukh Khan

By HT

Mumbai Cricket Association's five-year ban imposed on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) owner Shah Rukh Khan last year stands and he will not be able to attend his team's IPL match against hosts Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium here on May 7.

"There is a clause in the agreement we are to sign with Mumbai Indians tomorrow that any person who has been debarred by the association cannot enter our premises. It's not specific to any single person," MCA Joint Secretary Nitin Dalal told PTI today. "We had informed everyone concerned, including IPL authorities and team owners, about the ban after the decision had been taken," Dalal added.

The other Joint Secretary, PV Shetty refused to discuss the matter any further and merely said that "the ban stands."

The Bollywood super star was banned for five years from entering MCA premises, including the Wankhede Stadium, by the Association's Managing Committee, headed by the late Vilasrao Deshmukh, on May 18 last year after he was involved in a skirmish with security staff and officials of the cricket body following KKR's victory over MI two nights earlier.

Khan, however, denied he had misbehaved and maintained he reacted only after children, including his kids, were "manhandled" by the security staff at the stadium. But IPL Chairman Rajiv Shukla, had said soon after the MCA decision was announced that a final call on Khan's ban will be taken by the BCCI. "State bodies can only recommend but a final decision has to be taken by the BCCI. When the matter comes to BCCI, the Board will decide (on the ban)," Shukla had told reporters last year.

Meanwhile, it has been learnt that security personnel at MCA have been told by the authorities not to allow Khan into the premises during this season's IPL, commencing on April 3.